TV girl: The famous Russian figure skater Evgeni Plushenko who had to withdraw from the European Championship in Zagreb, was operated in the clinic in Israel.
Our correspondent could meet him a few hours after the surgery. Evgeni said that before and during EC he was in pain, didn' feel his legs and couldn't properly train.

Plu: Now I am feeling like after the operation. Of course I feel some pain but in general I feel good. My attempt to skate at Euro was a risk.
But I have always been a risky athlete who is going to his goal no matter how much it takes.

TV girl: Now Plu and his team are thinking about Sochi, if he can compete there at the proper level.

Doctor: I think with what spine I saw it's difficult to live, not to skate only. I think he is a person of a real will if he could skate with such pain.
He had a severe distruction of his disk, but not the disk only. His intervertebral joints, connecting cords were all in awful conditions.

TV girl: Usually people after such an operation can barely leave the bed. But Evgeni started walking.

Plu (smiling happily): You see, they operated me yesterday, but today I can walk a little.
TV girl: The detailed report from Israel' clinic see tomorrow in our News progs.

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I don't have any medical knowledge. Is it ok to walk and sit in the bed on the day after surgery?

In many instances they do want a patient to walk and sit up as soon as they are able after surgeries, Glacier cat. It is important to get the blood flowing through the lower extremities and also for gastrointestinal and urinary functions as well.

It looks cheap and hideous. If I spent big bucks on getting private treatment, I'd expect much better.

I wouldn't have any confidence in a place that didn't look professional.

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I agree in the sense that those curtains are not suitable in a hospital environment which has to be bare to be kept as germ-free as possible. The tiles are very middle eastern in appearance, like what you see in Turkey, Rather I was taken aback in the video by the fact of the surgeon having an interview and showing xrays etc in what appeared to be an operating room! Aren't they supposed to be sterile? And yet there were numerous people and a cameraman in the room! Rather strange.
Plushenko is my favorite skater and I dearly hope that he recovers 100%. His determination overcoming what must have been great pain is awesome. For selfish reasons I would love to see him skate next season but if it means compromising his physical integrity then I'll resign myself and start looking for another charismatic substitute. But so far, nobody inspires me as a replacement!

I came home to my parents today due to my flu and they told me they've seen an interview with Plush on Russian tv and that even his doctors said they cannot imagine how he could even WALK with these injuries.
So anyway...if he even manages to step on the ice in Sochi he's my hero.

I came home to my parents today due to my flu and they told me they've seen an interview with Plush on Russian tv and that even his doctors said they cannot imagine how he could even WALK with these injuries.

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Which pretty much proves practising quads every day is not really something he should be doing...

I came home to my parents today due to my flu and they told me they've seen an interview with Plush on Russian tv and that even his doctors said they cannot imagine how he could even WALK with these injuries.
So anyway...if he even manages to step on the ice in Sochi he's my hero.

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I too will give him respect, but with the caveat that he is crazy and shouldn't necessarily be a role model.

I really hope he will take his time to recover, but I guess this is unlikely. I am at the thought of what he does to his body ...

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So am I and sadly, I have a bad feeling about Evgeny and his future off the ice. As the doctor said, the shape his back is still in, how on earth was he able to walk. However any thoughts of him being in Sochi should be only as a Games Ambassador and *only* that. After reading what the Doctor said about the shape of his back, his skating days sound like they should be over period, so he can at least have the best quality of life off ice.

However, it sounds like AFAHC this is only a little bump in the road to Sochi.

If he doesn't listen to medical advice this time, I have a very bad feeling we'll be seeing Evgeni in a wheelchair in about ten years time just due to what he's done to his body. I *really* hope I'm dead wrong about that, as he has little ones who need their Dad to be able to play w/them and run w/them, but I just have a really bad feeling about this.

If he doesn't listen to medical advice this time, I have a very bad feeling we'll be seeing Evgeni in a wheelchair in about ten years time just due to what he's done to his body. I *really* hope I'm dead wrong about that, as he has little ones who need their Dad to be able to play w/them and run w/them, but I just have a really bad feeling about this.

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Plushenko has steely determination and no one should be surprised if he continues to compete in Sochi. Wishing him speedy recovery.
And I do agree with AragornE that he has a young family and one would hope he is fit enough in the next decade to skate, play ball and run with his kids.

Plushenko has steely determination and no one should be surprised if he continues to compete in Sochi. Wishing him speedy recovery.
And I do agree with AragornE that he has a young family and one would hope he is fit enough in the next decade to skate, play ball and run with his kids.

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My thoughts exactly. I am very afraid that he will try to compete in Sochi and put his body through only God knows what!!

As much as I love to watch him skate, I really wish he'd retire from competitive skating. His children do not need him to win another medal (of any color). What they DO need is for their Dad to be healthy and able to be there for them in every way possible as they grow up.

From the International Figure Skating facebook post this morning: "ESPN reported this morning that Evgeny Plushenko is having back surgery in Israel today to replace a deteriorated disk in his spine with a plastic one. He will not compete at Worlds."

I really think its time for Plushenko to call it quits. The man has 3 Olympic medals, multiple world titles/medals....Surely he wants to be able to skate with his kids...I know he's mentioned wanting to coach, I think he'll need his health to teach students awesome jumps... I'm not sure what Plushenko even feels he has to prove? I think in general though athletes are use to abusing their bodies...I can see why Plush wants to relive his glory days.

According to this article, before the surgery, every morning Plushy had to sink into hot water 20 minutes, and then somehow he could start to walk or sit in a hot shower. He had to have regular massages before each training sessions. He was totally tired with that.
In December, his foot was already paralyzed but won 10th national title with strong painkillers. However, in Zagreb, the medications didn't help him anymore. When he attempted a triple axel, he ordered himself "Just turn", but couldn't land because he didn't feel his feet. In addition, sharp pain ran through the right side of the body - spine, lower back, leg, knee, sole.
Doctor saw that not only his disc, but also spinal joints and ligaments connecting the vertebrae were a mess. The entire mechanism was very badly damaged.
Despite such a difficult situation, the operation went well. Plushy will return on the ice. However, to start training in March, as his coach Alexei Mishin hoped, can not. He will be back at the end of April.
Plushy told his wife, who is taking care of husband at the hospital, that before he worked eight hours per day, but now, after the surgery, he can work twelve hours. And, thus, in doing so, he believes, he can stand on the podium in Sochi.

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He will never give up his struggle. I just hope he can compete in Sochi and finish his long glorious career as he wishes.

They can do whatever they want. I'm just pointing out how Fumie has been insulted and derided while Plushenko is doing the same thing but receiving none of the vitriol.

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Well, Plushenko still had more success than Fumie Suguri. He even won Nationals while she didn't make it out of sectionals. Whether he can really come back and if so how strong he will be only time will tell. As others said, it is his choice (and also Fumie's choice). They are adults. For many athletes it is hard to find the right time to end their career, because they don't know what will come afterwards, they are missing new goals. This doesn't seem to be the case for Evgeni, though, as he repeadetly talked about his plans to open a figure skating school. I wish him a speedy recovery and the best for the future whatever he chooses to do.

The dancer Edward Villella described in his memoir how in the last years of his career, he had to crawl out of bed to the bathroom, because he couldn't walk, and how he had to have very long massages every day before he could stand and walk.

The director of the clinic gave a radio interview about his situation the last couple of years, the procedure they took to decide surgery and this operation results in athletes, although Plush is probably the first of figure skaters..

The director of the clinic gave a radio interview about his situation the last couple of years, the procedure they took to decide surgery and this operation results in athletes, although Plush is probably the first of figure skaters..